“This is an issue that I think brings people together. This is an issue that is so important that we need to deal with it this year,” Fischbach said.

The bill called for tougher penalties, expanding the rights of victims to sue, and for the first time, comprehensive licensing of assisted living facilities.

Their bill went nowhere.

Senator Karin Housley (R-St. Mary’s Point) pledged to fix the system when she spoke with KARE 11 last summer.

“The system is definitely not working the way it should,” she said at the time.

Housley proposed a bill with more limited reforms that also included a timeline for licensing assisted facilities and notifying families when a complaint has been made.

“This is a top priority for us in 2018,” she said at a press conference before the legislative session began.

But even though Housley is now a leading Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, her plan still hasn’t passed the GOP-controlled state legislature.

According to the state constitution, this year’s legislative session must end on May 21.

Peters and other family advocates are backing the Housley bill. They say negotiations continue, but they worry true reform may not happen this session. They wonder if their voices were really heard by lawmakers.

“They’re listening to the industry. They’re not listening to these people who’ve had their loved ones abused and neglected,” Peters said.

With one week left in the session, lawmakers who want to address an elder abuse crisis are running out of time.

Our investigation started after a tip from a viewer.

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